Improvement in ironing-boards



J. HOWELL. Ironing-Board.

Patented Nov. 20,1877.

Inventor.

I rneys.

N. PETERS, PHOTO LITHDGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D 0.

UNITED STATES PATENT Drrrcn.

JOSIAH HOWELL, OF MGKEESPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN lRONlNG-BOARDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 197,371, dated November20, 1877 application filed August 24, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSIAH HOWELL, of McKeesport, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Ironing- Boards; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichform part of this specification, in which-:-

Figure l is a top view, the dotted lines showing the open positions ofthe clips and 2, a side edge view.

This invention relates to the construction of ironing-boards; andconsists in a plain flat rectangular board, having on one end a pivotedspring clamp and stretcher, and on the other two hinged U-shaped clips,moving in ,the plane of the board, as hereinafter more fully describedand claimed.

A designates the board, which is plain and rectangular. A clamp ispivoted at one end, consisting of the end bar a, closely hugging the endof the board, to which it is pivoted by means of the two wires 12,attached to the pivots c on the edges of board A, and each coiled into aspring, 8, along the edges of the board. The wires are clinched into theextremities of the end board. The springs permit the end bar to yield,to allow difi'erent thicknesses of material to be accommodated.

The edges of board A may be rounded ofl, to facilitate the drawing downof the end bar, and the end bar may be rounded also. The springs willalways draw the bar avery tightly against the board A.

At the other end of board A, I attach, by hinging, two clips, B B,consisting of U-shaped pieces, formed to. embrace the board end. Theyare hinged at or near the middle line of the board, in such manner as tomove in the plane of the board. They may, if desired, be provided withhandles d. I prefer sheet metal for the clips, though they may be madeof other material.

In use, the article is placed on the board, and clips B B being closedon it, hold that end firmly and smooth. Before closing down the bar a atthe other end the article is drawn over it, passed around under, andthen bar a is drawn down to its position at the end of the board. Thisstretches the article, and causes it to present a smooth, even surfacefor ironing.

By such construction a very cheap and durable board is produced. Beingplain and rectangular, it requires no shaping or forming whatever, as itcan be simply sawed off in lengths, and the clamp and clips attached. Itmay be covered with a layer or two of cloth, or not, and so can be usedeither as an ironing-board or as a polishing-board.

I have a special object in view in the provision of the two clamps B B,hinged to the board near the middle of one end. They are to be used inattaching shirts to the board. By turning them lengthwise of the boardthe shirt may be drawn over the latter, and the clamps passed throughthe neck-opening, after which they may be turned back into place andmade to clamp the shirt at the shoulders.

I claim as my invention 1. The improved ironing-board, consisting of therectangular board A, pivoted spring clamping-bar a, having the sidesprings s, and

the two hinged clips B B, U-shaped in crosssection, moving in the planeof the board, and attached to the board near the middle of one end, sothat when opened they will pass through the neck portion of a shirt, allcombined and operating substantially as described and shown.

2. The combination, with an ironing-board, of the two hinged clamps B B,attached to the middle part of one end, and opening in the plane of theboard, so as to be insertible through the neck-opening of a shirt,substantially as described and shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this14th day of August, 1877.

JOSIAH HOWELL.

Witnesses:

J OSEPH DOUGHERTY, .A. J. BROWN.

